We have our own animal prognosticators who can give us a more accurate six-week spring or winter forecast.

Punxsutawney Phil woke Thursday morning and saw his shadow, which means spring lovers woke up and shed some tears.

Here's the thing, though: Phil, an adorable groundhog, is a so-called forecaster in the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania -- a few hundred miles away from the Tri-State. Surely, there's got to be a local prognosticator from the animal kingdom in our neck of the woods that can give us a more accurate six-week spring or winter forecast, right?

Both of these adorable little penguins waddled out of their homes Thursday morning to a sky filled with sun-blocking clouds. Those clouds prevented this dynamic duo from seeing their shadows, which means an early arrival of spring is expected here in the Tri-State this year.

I don't know about you, but I am 100 percent in support of Paula and Blueberry's prediction over that groundhog out east's prediction. He has a track record of being right only 39 percent of the time, by the way.

Plus, we meteorologists here at 9 On Your Side are siding with Paula and Blueberry. They will always get our vote!

All kidding and folklore aside, the long-term forecast for the next month shows a few rounds of cold, but more above average warmth than anything else. There could be a few more chances of snow before spring arrives on March 20. But right now, the name of the game continues to suggest warmer weather wins out overall.

Stick to your 9 First Warning Weather team as we transition from the cold winter days to warmer spring days over the next few weeks.